This week’s project was a request from my daughter to make a porch welcome sign for her front door.  She is a huge dog fan so I created a porch sign with a silhouette for each dog breed that she has. Having 4 dogs you can imagine all the noise they all make when they get excited to see visitors.  She is also hoping the sign will be a deterrent for would-be thieves.  Thieves don’t need to know they have more chance of being licked to death than being bitten.

It is also time for our next blog hop for  ‘Do It Over’ Designers so this project was the perfect do-over.  We are a group of bloggers who come together to share our latest recycle/upcycle/DIY project. Be sure to visit the other talented bloggers who are participating this month in the links at the end of this post.

How to make a porch welcome sign

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Find a suitable board

For this project, I used an old cheese board that I bought from a charity shop for $3. It did have some marks on the surface which I sanded out before adding a coat of clear polyurethane.  I prefer to seal wood surfaces before I add the vinyl decals because the vinyl lasts longer than on a porous surface like raw wood. You can use any wood as long as the surface is smooth.

Choose your graphics

To make this welcome sign you will need to have a vinyl cutting machine similar to a Cricut or silhouette cameo.   I am using a Cricut explorer air 2 for this tutorial. I bought a dog breed bundle from Etsy which was 100 images for under $10. Silhouette images work best for this type of project because there is not as much detail, but you can create your own using a photo if you are technically minded. If you are buying images you must make sure you buy the image in the correct format which is SVG.

Adding images to design space

Design space is the software that comes with the Cricut machine, it is very simple to use once you get the hang of it.  1. Start by selecting a new design.

2. Next, select upload and find the images you are using in your design and add them to the design space.

3. Move your images around until you are happy with the layout.

4. Select a text box and add your text. You can select your font at the top of the page.  If you are using a script font you will need to select all the text and weld them together.  If you don’t weld script text the Cricut will cut each letter separately instead of a complete word. The weld button can be found on the right side of the screen under the combine tab.

5. Select the text and group the together by clicking on the group button on the right-hand side.  If you don’t group your text the Cricut will move them around so you don’t waste vinyl. I have added an example below. The text “No need to knock” was grouped while the other text was not.  It does the same for the images, it will move them around to fill up the vinyl. In my opinion, you do save vinyl but the project takes twice as long to do.

6. Once you are happy with the layout select all at the top and select “attach” on the bottom right-hand side.  This will keep your design in the exact layout you see on the screen. I forgot to do it with the dog silhouettes but they were easy enough to line back up but text will be a nightmare.  At the top of the screen select the “make it” button.

Cutting the vinyl

7. For all outdoor projects, I use oracle 651 vinyl which is a permanent outdoor vinyl. Load the vinyl on the Cricut mat with the vinyl facing up.  Set the vinyl setting on the dial on the Cricut machine. load the vinyl and push the ‘C’ button to start the cutting.

8. When the machine has finished cutting push the arrow button on the machine to release the mat. You now need to weed the vinyl.  This means removing all the excess vinyl to leave behind only the design. Using the Cricut weeding tools or a craft knife remove all the vinyl from the inside of the letters.

Transferring the image

9. To transfer the image you need a piece of transfer film big enough to cover the design you want to transfer. Place the transfer over the design and smooth over the surface with a Brayer or scraper.

10.  Remove the transfer film, the design should now be stuck to the transfer film.  Place the design in the position you want on the wooden board and rub the design with a scraper. Next, pull back the transfer film slowly leaving behind the design. For a design this size it is easier to work with if you do it in 2 pieces. To finish off my porch welcome sign I use a bow from a recycled belt and glued it to the top of the board.

More Cricut project ideas

This novelty doormat was made with Cricut vinyl and rubber spray.

I made this pet memorial plaque for my daughter-in-law who lost her beloved pet.  There are so many ways you can use your Cricut besides making signs and adding names to bottles, you can find my creations here.

Do over designers’ blog hop

As I mentioned, this is the ‘Do It Over’ Designers Blog Hop and there are some amazing projects!  Be sure to click on the links below for inspiration.

The Apple Street Cottage

Birdz of a Feather

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Little Vintage Cottage

Purple Hues & Me

Southern Sunflowers

Sum of Their Stories

Tea and Forget-Me-Nots

Unique Creations By Anita